1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of prior art involving water control in lakes, reservoirs and similar relatively still bodies of water. More particularly, the present invention involves the control of temperature, dissolved oxygen, chemicals and other water quality parameters which are necessary for maintaining and promoting aquatic ecology.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is well known that bodies of water, particularly still bodies of water such as reservoirs and ponds, experience a condition known as stratification or vertical variation of basic water quality parameters such as temperature, dissolved oxygen, chemicals, turbulence, and the like. This condition of stratification may be undesirable and detrimental to the delicate ecological balance of aquatic life. For example, the amount of dissolved oxygen in a given body of water is an important parameter which is critical for the survival and growth of many aquatic organisms, plants, and fish. The absence or an insufficient amount of dissolved oxygen in all or certain strata of the water body inevitably leads to anaerobic decay or organic matter and results in water pollution.
The most important method by which oxygen is added and dissolved within a body of water is through the mechanism of atmospheric aeration. Such aeration normally occurs naturally when a body of water is agitated by air currents and water motion characteristics such as normally manifested in a moving stream or river. The presence of various chemicals, chemical reactions and photosynthesis in plants also contribute to the addition of dissolved oxygen in a body of water.
The process of atmospheric aeration can also be effected artificially by oxygenating a body of water with air diffusers, mechanical aerators or other such devices which essentially agitate the water so that it is turned over constantly to make contact with available oxygen in the air. In addition to achieving the necessary dissolved oxygen balance in a body of water, these devices and methods also serve to destratify the other critical water quality parameters such as temperature, chemical content and the like. In this manner, the biological and chemical factors necessary for aquatic ecology can be uniformly and homogeneously maintained.
Though the prior art has suggested many forms of destratification devices, most of which are directed at achieving atmospheric aeration, such devices have been found lacking in one respect or another. For example, it is known to float an electric powered spray head on the surface of the water for the purpose of ejecting the water into the atmosphere for aeration purposes. However, such devices do not serve to effectively overcome the stratification problem that normally exists from the surface down to the bottom of the water body. Other diffusers and agitators have been proposed for stirring and turning over bodies of water, but they too are lacking in overall efficiency when it is desired that destratification be achieved uniformly.